Rewind One More Time
by PickleToast
Summary: Sometimes our ancestors are never known, having died before their time. But, if you had a chance to go back and save them, would you? For Sly and the others, the answer is a simple, and resounding "Yes."
1. Rewind and Begin Again

Yo, yo, yo! What's up?! PickleToast is back! Anyway, I have recently gotten into playing the Sly Cooper series. I have played the first one before….but kinda got sidetracked. However, just a few months ago, my good friend DarkinUnderground got me back into playing it after telling me all about the fourth game (and OMG it is AMAZING!). So I got the fourth game and played some of it, but I have seen all parts of the game previously. Getting back on topic, my friend and I thus began our usual brainstorming and came up with some amazing ideas. In an effort to not forget any of these ideas, and with some pushing from my friend, I created THIS little story.

**Disclaimer**: I, PickleToast, do not own Sly Cooper or any of the other characters as seen in Thieves in Time. I do, however, own this storyline (to be considered as an AU) as well as the theories and plots behind it and the new ancestor characters that will be introduced (who are co-owned by my good friend, DarkinUnderground). So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

**Warning**: This IS an AU. The placement of this story is after Thieves in Time, but in the event that Sly did NOT get sent to Egypt. Again, this is an AU.

**Note**: Personally, I am not actually that happy with this starting chapter. I am by no means great at grammar or writing, as my style tends to lean more towards the 'stream of conscious' writing. As you read, if there is ANYTHING you see that bothers you about the style or does not make sense or if you see something grammatically wrong, please feel free to tell me! I will go back an fix it so that it works. Thank you.

Chapter One: Rewind and Begin Again

It was a lovely day in Paris, and a certain raccoon was making the most of it. Sly Cooper was walking through the city streets in a small disguise in order to enjoy the sun. It had been almost four months since he had that crazy, amazing adventure through time with his friends Bentley and Murray, as well as the ever lovely Carmelita. It had taken him about a month to fully reconcile with her about lying about his amnesia, and another month of not pulling any heists to gain her full trust again (a couple of 'honest' dates helped as well). Although, if he was to be truthful, he thinks the only reason Carmelita started to forgive him and like him again was when she finally realized what he had given up in order to be with her.

Despite everything, Sly was glad the events had happened. If they hadn't, he wouldn't be able to have the best of both worlds: keeping his friends and having Carmelita as an almost girlfriend (again). The only issue left was just how to juggle both his 'job' and being able to stay with Carmelita. It had taken him a while, but Sly believed he had the perfect answer. He was going to run it by Bentley and Murray earlier today, but it was such a nice day out, he figured he could wait a bit to tell them. If he got their okay and their input, he was going to then tell Carmelita. He hoped that she would approve.

Looking up at the Eiffel Tower, Sly smiled. This was the first real thing he had kept secret from her. He had this idea in his head for a year now actually. He wanted it to be a surprise. Thankfully, Carmelita was on a job in Germany right now, which gave him the perfect time to smooth out the edges and get his friends on board. Coming out of his musings, Sly decided to head back to the base. If he made it back quick enough, he'd be able to catch Bentley before he left for his lab. Murray would be there for at least a while longer, before heading to the garage and tweaking the gang van a bit. Lord knows how much Murray loved that van. Sly could still remember when they got it. Murray had seen it in a junk yard, all beaten up and rusted. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. So, Sly and Bentley had 'borrowed' it permanently and gave it to Murray as a birthday present. He's been with it ever since.

With a smile and skip in his step, Sly made his way back to the base just before dusk. Putting his jacket on the hanger by the door, Sly called out "Bentley! Murray! I'm back!" Silence. Confused, Sly walked further into the base and checked each room. "Murray? Bentley?" Still nothing. He looked at the clock on the wall and knew that the two wouldn't have left yet. So where were they? He was about to give them a call on the cams when he heard a loud crash coming from the garage. Ah. There they were, or at least, there Murray was. Sly relaxed and made his way to the where the van was. Opening the door, he was expecting to see the two tweaking the van here and there, with the crash having been attributed to one of them dropping the tool box. He got a madhouse instead. There was stuff everywhere, and to be honest the garage looked more like his messy childhood room than what it was supposed to be.

Looking around the chaos, Sly found Murray and Bentley moving around frantically grabbing things and trying to place them back. Bentley's laboratory laptop was there as well. That itself was enough to tell Sly that something was absolutely wrong. Bentley _never_ took that laptop out of his laboratory. What was going on? He walked up to them, catching a flying piece of paper on the way. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

"Sly! There you are! Where have you been? We've been trying to contact you for an hour now!" Bentley said, frantic. Sly rolled his eyes. His smart turtle friend could just be so dramatic sometimes.

"It was a nice day. I went for a walk. As for not answering, I probably left my phone here. Sorry. So what's with the mess?"

"There's something wrong with the van pal!" Murray said, his arms full of tools and an oil can that was starting to drip on the floor. Sly was about to ask for clarification when Bentley beat him to it.

"The time machine is starting to act up! I haven't taken it off the van yet. I didn't think I needed to! But now it's causing abnormal force waves, and I can't figure out why!" Sly looked up at the top of the van to see exactly what Bentley was saying. The time machine was out of control, spinning rapidly in random directions and with random speeds. If he looked closely, he could swear he saw faint blue pulses coming from it.

"Wh-what happened to it?"

"I told you Sly, I don't know!"

"Calm down, pal! You'll figure it out. "The Murray" is positive!" Bentley didn't respond well, being high-strung and worried about what was happening and thus a small argument began between the two. Sly looked back up at the machine. When his eyes found their way to the clock arrows on the machine he froze, eyes widening and ears slowly flattening against his head.

"Uh….guys?" They didn't hear him. "Guys?" More arguing. "GUYS!" That got their attention.

"What is it Sly?" Murray asked. Sly slowly pointed to the machine.

"…That." The others looked up to find the machine had completely stopped, but now the space around the machine was literally spinning in a warp hole…and the hole was getting bigger. Seeing that the van wasn't being affected, Bentley shouted out that they all get in the van _now._ As soon as the door closed behind them, they felt the familiar drop and speed of being sent through time. Their eyes widened as they all thought the same thing. _What is going on?_ There was nothing in the chamber to tell them where they were being dropped, and the three just dearly hoped they would be able to figure this mystery out and get back home.

Soon, the van came to a stop, jerking the friends in the van, leaving Sly, who hadn't had a chance to buckle up, to flip and land in the windshield upside-down. After a moment of groaning and getting back in his seat, Sly looked outside. They were on a cliff overlooking the sea. There was grass not that far away and some trees. Sly cautiously opened the door and stepped out into the cold breeze of the ocean. "…Do any of you know where we are?" Before Bentley or Murray could answer, a hauntingly familiar voice answered instead.

"Nope! I ain't have a clue. But if I weres to venture a guess, I'd say the ocean!"

The three whipped their heads towards the voice and almost fell over. "T-Tennessee?!" Indeed, it was Tennessee standing there, complete with his orange shirt, gun belt and unlit cigarette, grinning at them.

"Howdy there fellas! Been awhile!"

"B-But what are you doing here? What's going on?" Bentley asked, just as confused as Sly was shocked.

"We had hoped you would know, Bentley-san." Looking passed Tennessee revealed Rioichi walking up to the group, followed by Sir Galleth and Salim.

"Rioichi! Galleth! Salim! You're all here as well?"

"Hai."

"Verily!"

"Mmph." Salim just groaned, looking like he'd been rudely awakened from a nap. Seeing as they were getting nowhere fast, Sly asked his four ancestors how they had gotten here. All of their answers were the same. They had been minding their own business when they were blinded by a light and suddenly found themselves here on the cliff. After some thinking and deliberating with the now group of seven, Bentley could only think of one answer.

"The time machine was used originally to fix Cooper history and the Thievius Raccoonus. Therefore, the machine is more than likely connected to the book and or to just the Cooper line in general. Since you four were affected the most directly by the machine, you all will be affected by it no matter what it does, as it can reach you more readily than Bob. Thus, the only explanation I can give is that something must be going on either with the Thievius Raccoonus or with Cooper History. But what?" No one had a clue.

"Well," Sly said with a sigh before stretching and heading back to the van, "might as well go have a look around the area. We might find a clue or two." He pulled out the binnocucoms and tossed them out. "I think we should split up. If anyone finds anything, contact everyone else." Soon the group had split, with Murray and Bentley staying by the van as a base of operations and so that Murray could take a look and see if the van was injured during the trip. Recon mission was a go.

Well, there we have it! The first chapter! As stated before, if you see anything wrong, let me know and I'll fix it. Also if I have misspelled 'binnocucom' let me know…it's a hard word to spell! Anyway, I promise the following chapters WILL be longer, as they have more content. I know I am not writing out the character's personalities very well, but please remember this is my first Sly Cooper fic, so please be lenient with me. If you have advice on how to portray one of the characters better, feel free again to tell me in the comments. Thanks!

PickleToast, out!


	2. Rewind Viking

Hey all! PickleToast here! I present to you the second chapter of Rewind One More Time. A note of forshadowing, there will be a new character introduced in this chapter. I will put a biography of them at the end so no one is confused latter on, okay? What I will say about the character now is that they belong to DarkinUnderground. My friend there was a big help in writing this chapter, and if anyone wants to know more then go look up DarkinUnderground! Anyway, since this is my first Sly Cooper fiction, I am well aware that many characters may be a bit OOC. Sorry, I can't help it. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I, PickleToast, hereby formally state that I own nothing in this story save for the plot, headcannons, and a few new characters. All new characters are co-owned by my good friend DarkinUnderground. Thank you.

**Note**: Again, as in the previous chapter, all grammar/writing style/character portrayment comments are more than welcomed.

Chapter Two: Rewind Viking

"Typical." Sly murmured as he made his way through the forest. "As soon as we land in an unusual place it's picture time. I thought I bought Bentley his own camera for this very reason." He sighed as he paused for a moment. Stretching, Sly looked around his current position. Still nothing but trees and brush everywhere. "But, I guess this is okay. As amazing as Bentley is in upgrading his wheelchair, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to make it through this. At least, not without a chainsaw."

Sly restarted his trek through the woods for a few more minutes, occasionally checking in with Bentley and Murray. He wanted to check in with his ancestors as well, but Bentley hadn't created a communication link between any of the ancestors. He guessed that it was because when they had the binnocucoms the ancestors didn't need to contact Sly directly or vice versa. The only way to know what they were doing was to ask Bentley since he was the only one who had a link with all of them. 'Too bad.' Sly thought, whacking a branch out of his face. He wasn't worried about them per se…. but one could never be too careful when it comes to Tennessee and Sir Galleth. Those two could be destructive if not watched. The fact that both were by themselves only led Sly to be even more wary of whatever the two were doing.

After getting hit again by a tree branch and spitting out a leaf, Sly finally managed to see some cliffs just outside the forest. Not caring at all about the plants anymore, Sly made a run for the opening. Never once in his life had Sly been so happy to see solid rock cliffs that drop directly over water. If he could swim he would have happily jumped in to rid himself of the debris he had undoubtedly collected on his journey. Taking out his binnocucom, Sly took a picture of the scene before contacting Bentley.

"Hey, Bentley. I just made it through that forest. The only thing on the other side is more cliffs and ocean."

"I had thought as much." Bentley replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Judging from where we landed and how the cliffs looked here, I had guessed that we were either on a peninsula or an island. Rioichi headed south of the van and has only found sprawling landscape. With that and what you just told me, we must be on a peninsula."

"Okay…." Sly began, not fully understanding how his friend had deciphered that but not willing to comment on it. "So what have the others found?"

"Well, Salim found beach area and Galleth was in the same boat as Rioichi, only finding land. Tennessee went along the Cliffside following it. I haven't heard from him yet."

"Ah, okay then. I'm heading back toward the van then."

"We'll be waiting." Bentley said before communication dropped and Sly made his trek back through the forest that now held his disdain.

Back at the van, Bentley sighed, taking off his glasses momentarily and pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to puzzle out what was going on and where they were. 'Okay.' He thought, 'the reason for the situation is likely caused by either the Thievius Raccoonus, or due to everyone being somehow linked with the time machine. To add to that we are on a peninsula somewhere up north, as the air and water are too cold to be anywhere else…so a peninsula up north….judging from what the world map looks like, we could either be in Canada again, in Greenland, or the Nordic States. Iceland is out of the question, as that's an island. Hmm…' It was then that Bentley was interrupted by a call on his binoccucom. Looking over at it, he realized the call was from Tennessee. Quickly, Bentley answered it. "Finally! We've been worried Tennessee! Everyone else had called in except you."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that mate." Tennessee began.

"So, what did you find?"

"What did I find? More like what _didn't_ I find! Hoo boy! Ya'll need to get here faster than a six legged coyote!" his western accent becoming more prominent with his excitement.

"What? Why? What's going on?"

"A hoedown, that's what! Two ships have met on the ocean and they be brawlin' it out like no tomorrow!"

"Brawling? Tennessee! If there's a fight then we should be getting away from it, not toward it!" Bentley answered back frantically. Dear God…what if any of those people saw him? That's just a time paradox waiting to happen! "Tennessee, I must insist that you come ba-"

"No! Really, ya'll need to get here. It's not just any brawl with any 'ol blokes! There's 'nother raccoon on one of them ships! An' git this! He's got the Cooper Cane….with an ax on et!" Tennessee replied quickly, hoping the last part would push Bentley into gathering the others and coming over. It did.

"Another raccoon with a Cooper Cane?! Forget what I said then, stay where you are, I've got your coordinates. We'll all be there soon." With that Bentley hung up on Tennessee and called everyone else back to the van ASAP. Sly arrived first, followed by Rioichi, who had been using his Dragon Leap to get around. A few minutes later produced a flustered Sir Galleth, who had had a recent run in with a not-too-friendly seagull. Salim arrived last, looking tired as usual. Sly wanted to make a comment that Salim was a Cooper and needed to get his 'game' on, but apparently Rioichi knew it too. Sly immediately shut up and shrank down in response to the look Rioichi was giving him.

"A Cooper he may be, but he is of a ripe age. I believe he moves respectfully well for a raccoon of his nature. Respecting your ancestors is important, but you must also respect your elders, Sly." Rioichi chastised. He didn't want to be too hard on him, but it was apparent that the whole aspect of respect had unfortunately dwindled down the family line, if the two youngest Coopers, Sly and Tennessee, were any indication. He needed to instill that aspect again in the younger generations. He knew it would be easier with Sly, as he was more level headed. Tennessee now….he would be harder. His stubbornness was as hard as Galleth's armor and his skull tended to be thick as well.

Sly shuffled a bit in his spot, feeling much like a young kit again. He was briefly reminded of a time when he was scolded by his mother when he was young, but the memory was faded and foggy. Knowing that continuing to remember that would only lead to _that night_, Sly shook his head and focused on Bentley. However, his ears stayed folded down, as well as his head, a sign of apology to Rioichi for almost being rude to Salim. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rioichi slightly nod as to accept the silent apology.

"Prithee, what is it that thou callest us here?" Galleth asked. "And where art is that young rascal?"

"I assume you mean Tennessee, right?" Bentley asked. Sir Galleth nodded. "Ah, well there is an answer to both of your questions. One, Tennessee isn't here because he is at the location I told him to stay in. We are going to head there ourselves. Tennessee discovered something that might help us figure out what is going on." He paused, waiting for everything to sink in.

"Go on…" Sly urged.

"He came upon a battle scene between two ships. According to Tennessee, there is a raccoon on one of the ships that his wielding an ax with the Cooper Cane on it." He finished bluntly. It took a moment for the four to get it.

"So…" Sly started, "you think this raccoon might be…"

"The time machine is linked with Cooper history. I would not be surprised if the one Tennessee saw was also a Cooper, and one of your ancestors, much like Bob."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"You don't need to tell me twice." It was here that Murray announced that the van was working enough to drive to the location, which everyone agreed. It was rather funny to see how Rioichi, Galleth and Salim reacted to the van as it began moving. Rioichi just stared wide eyed out the back, wondering what was pulling the large enclosed cart. Salim wondered how Murray was able to control such a beast, and Galleth was spouting something about witchcraft, which was ignored for the most part.

About ten to twenty minutes later the gang found Tennessee sitting on a rock, waving his hand with his signature grin and his tail swishing happily behind him. "'bout time ya'll got here! Ya just missed it! Battle ended a couple minutes ago." He said as everyone practically swarmed around him to take a look down below. There was one boat that looked about to sink. It was also smoking and there was some fire on the front deck. Bodies littered said boat and floated above the water. Just a few meters away was another boat, with barely any scratches on it. Moving to a different rock to get a closer look, the group saw who Tennessee was speaking of.

Right there, at the stern was a raccoon. He was rather burly for a raccoon, but was certainly not as big as Bob was. His fur was red and he sported black strips along his tail. Mischievous green eyes glowed in triumph as they rested over the ruins of the enemy ship. In his hands was a large stone and metal ax, with the tell-tale Cooper Cane on it as well.

"Well I'll be…" Sly whispered as he stared at the other. "His clothing…does that mean he's…"

"He's a Viking for sure." Bentley finish, pushing his glasses up. "Well, now I know where we are. We have to be in the Nordic States. Possibly Norway, especially with the presence of those Vikings." There was silence before Tennessee suddenly broke into a large smile.

"You tellin' me wees got a Viking fer an ancestor? Heck yeah!" he said, a little louder than the others would have preferred, but thankfully the wind had picked up so there was little chance he was heard. Even after being shushed by everyone, Tennessee didn't care. He had a Viking ancestor. A friggin' _Viking_! He had heard many stories about them as a child from the innkeeper up in Maine when he would visit, and had always wanted to see one. But to have one for an _ancestor_? Tennessee could die happy now.

Ignoring his bouncing American ancestor, Sly looked back to the ship and tilted his head in confusion. "Hey, what's going on now?" The others looked to see what Sly was talking about. It seemed as though everyone on the ship was holding a mug and chanting something. There were loud cheers and happy cries and triumphant roars as the men stomped and bashed mugs against one another before drinking. The red raccoon seemed to be the leader of the ship, as he stayed at the front and head of the others.

"They look like they're celebrating to me." Murray said, scratching his head. Bentley agreed, just wishing he knew what they were saying. As soon as the supposed celebration began, it ended and the Viking raccoon pointed eastward with his cane, saying something to his men, who all gave what sounded like an affirmative call. Soon, the men were on either side of the large vessel, grabbing thick wooden paddles and began rowing as another shipmate adjusted the sails.

"Let's follow them." Sly suggested as he began following the coastline again with his eyes, hoping to follow the ship from above. The others quickly agreed and got in the van. They drove quietly, and slowly, not wanting to alert the Vikings of their presence. A few times they had lost track of the boat, but by now Bentley had been able to create a map of the region and was able to figure out that the boat, judging from the location it was headed, was going toward a large group of rocks. Uncertain but having no other idea, Murray turned the van around and drove toward the rocks.

Reaching the cliff just before the rocks, Murray put the van in park and let everyone get out. "Looks like we'll have to go by foot from here." Bentley said.

"But where though? I don't see anything." Murray asked, thoroughly confused.

"Those rocks look big enough. Perhaps there are caves there as well?" Rioichi replied.

"And perhaps the ship is docked in a cave." Salim finished, looking at the steep cliff drop warily, not looking forward to it. He just knew his bones were going to protest.

"That sounds very likely." Bentley said. "Alright, down to the rocks and caves!" It took a while, but everyone managed to get down fine and found, much to their pleasant surprise, that there was a bunch of little rocks and boulders making a nice pathway from rock to rock. After searching three rocks and one small cave, the group suddenly heard a loud, almost crashing sound. A loud, angry roar followed. As Sly stared on in the direction of the roar, he suddenly found himself scared. Something was telling him that whatever had made that sound was not happy, and that it would be foolish to follow it. Unfortunately, he had to swallow that fear and make his way there along with the others. They made their way closer to the second largest rock when the sound of yet another battle reached their ears. Sly again felt that lump of fear in his throat as his ears went down and his tail froze. His eyes widened at the sounds.

There were more roars and yells, both of anger and immense pain. Sounds of death followed as well as the sound of something wet. Sly had a horrible suspicion that the mystery wet sound was caused by blood and body parts being hacked to pieces. He too had heard stories of Vikings and knew just how vicious they could be. He looked at the cave entrance. They were only a few feet away. Just a handful more of boulders and they would be able to look inside. Sly began to shake lightly as another roar shook the air along with an angered cry in a language he could not understand. He did not want to be there. He didn't want to be there at all, and who could blame him? He had never been in this type of situation before. He was used to visual horrors, like with Clockwerk. Not…not auditory horror.

Salim was actually the only one to notice Sly's odd behavior. Taking in his young descendant's posture he knew automatically what was going on. Normally he was not the touchy-feely kind of person, but he was the oldest one here and so he felt that, somewhere deep in his heart and mind, that he should be the one in charge of the youngsters. For all he knew, Sly, and Tennessee for that matter, were still a little too young. He briefly humored himself on what their reactions would be if he forced the two to stay in a den nest like he had his own kits do when they were but tiny little ones. Realizing that now was not the time for that, Salim made his way over to Sly and wrapped an arm around him, keeping him close as he took his other hand and stroked the place where Sly's neck and head met in an effort to calm the younger down.

Sly jolted at the sudden contact, but leaned in, eyes dropping slightly. The sort-of hug and calming strokes were well appreciated and Sly felt absolutely terrible for everything mean he had either said or thought about the old Arabian. He was glad Salim was there. It almost felt like his own father was still there. Sadly, the sound of what might have been a man being chopped in half had Sly freezing up again.

Salim felt Sly starting to calm down before the scream had him frozen again. With a sigh he realized that Sly was not going to calm down as long as those sounds kept coming. Normally he did not like using his talents in the open, but it would be for a good cause. Lifting his finger and twirling it around Salim began softly chanting something. Once he was done he gently placed both his hands over Sly's ears.

Sly was frozen, in his head all he kept hearing was those awful screams. They whirled around like a tsunami and Sly began to feel sick. Just has he thought that he couldn't take anymore, everything went silent. Sly blinked and found himself back in reality. He paused, trying to figure out what happened. He….couldn't hear anything. Nothing. Not even the water hitting the rock he was on. It was then that he realized that it felt as though something was plugging his ears. Reaching up, he found nothing. He then looked at Salim wide-eyed and his ancestor held a warm smile. It hit him then. Salim could use some magic, Sly knew. He must have cast a spell preventing Sly from hearing the thing that scared him. He smiled back, relief in his eyes. "Thanks…"

The others had stopped and waited patiently while the scene unfolded. Galleth, however, turned and finished making his way to the cave. Despite the sounds, he was not afraid. He had heard many similar sounds in his own battles, and he would not mind watching a bit of it as well. He knew he'd get chastised for it, but watching bloody battles was practically a sport back in England.

Reaching the entrance of the cave, he peered in. His eyes widened as he figured out what had happened. There were the men from the ship earlier, their original white and grey tunics stained red with their blood. They lay dead along with other men wearing different clothing. An ambush then. Galleth glowered at the dead men from the other group. As much as he liked a good battle, an ambush was not something he liked. It was dishonorable. More importantly it was cowardly, and Sir Galleth had no patience for the likes.

He looked up again at the sound of weapons clashing. He spied on the deck of the ship the red raccoon leader and another who Galleth supposed was the leader of the other group going head to head. Something looked off about the raccoon though. His eyes held something wild. A lust for blood that Galleth had never seen. A lack of any form of recognition. Galleth could only stare in awe as he watched the bloody and brutal battle. The Viking raccoon already had many wounds and Galleth found himself wondering how the other could possibly be moving. He watched as the mace from the enemy came closing in, missing its intended target of the head, but hitting the shoulder leaving the sound of a nasty crack. The raccoon did not seem to register the pain as he grabbed a hold of his enemy, raised his ax high and silenced the other for eternity.

Galleth breathed in awe. To be able to continue even with such a wound as that of a shattered shoulder? He couldn't think of anyone that could do that. He continued to stare at the victorious man in amazement as the other began to sway, whatever that was keeping him up fading away, and collapse on the floor, blood spilling out from multiple wounds. Galleth felt numb. What was he to do? It was then that he suddenly remembered something. A note, one that had been written to him by his father whom he had never known.

_Honor is a tricky thing, my son. It acts as a guide in life and as a code to live by. However, honor is subjected to the mind of individuals. Each person has a different honor, a different sense of honor. What may be honorable to you may not be to another. My advice is to have an honor that respects other honors. If your honor tells you it is wrong to kill an opponent when they are defeated, but for them it is more honorable to die in battle, give them that. Be the stronger one and be able to hold your honor in check to allow them theirs._

It had been a very inspiring and deep note. Galleth kept it with him always under his pillow back home. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the smell of blood, he made his way over to the fallen raccoon. No…that wasn't it. He made his way to the fallen _warrior_. 'Thank you father.' He thought as his mind cleared and his resolve steeled. Finally, he was by the warrior's side. He knelt down, noticing the man was still breathing, but barely. Galleth laid his sword to the side and took off his helmet, not caring how his fur looked. He gently took hold of the Viking leader and turned him over. No man should have to die with his head to the ground, especially not a man as honorable as the one before him.

Pained and dulled green eyes peered up at calm brown. The red raccoon blinked in confusion at the one before him now. Never before had he seen such a skinny raccoon, or one with such light colors as well. The other's outfit was also something he had never seen before. It gleamed, reflecting the light of the now bloodied water below. What surprised the wounded warrior the most was that those brown eyes held no pity. Only respect.

"H-hvem er du?1" his deep and scratchy voice sounded.

Galleth could not for the life of him understand what his warrior ancestor had said, but for some strange reason, he was able to get the gist of it. "Mine name be not important. But for an honorable warrior such as yourself…I am called Galleth."

The other was having the same problem. What strange words this one spoke! If he wasn't dying he would have loved to talk more and hear those odd, funny, yet comforting sounds. However, he was able to figure out what he had said. "G-gae…lleth… Gaeleth." He said, trying to pronounce the odd name. He was sure he said it wrong, but he didn't care. It was a nice name. He wondered why he felt so calm in this strange man's presence. For all intents and purposes, he should feel threatened….and yet… Looking up at the other again he finally realized why. The other bore a striking resemblance to one of his sons, whom had decided to stay earthbound and went south-east towards Germania. But this was not his son, he knew, but he felt as though this raccoon was kin and he smiled.

Galleth looked thoughtful at the raccoon as he tried to pronounce his name. "What is thine own name?"

The other looked confused again before guessing what was asked of him. "Loki…no…Logi." he said, changing his name. Even though he had gone by 'Loki' for many years, he felt the need, the want for this somehow kin to know his real name.

"Logi…" Galleth began, catching the other's attention. "What is thy honor?"

The fallen warrior, Logi, could not explain it. But suddenly it was as though he could understand everything that 'Gaeleth' had said. Feeling an odd emotion he had not felt in a long time the elder of the two smiled. "Min ære ... satt mitt skip ut på havet for å brenne det med mine menn og jeg ombord.2" he softly whispered.

Galleth also noticed that by some twist in fate he too could understand the other. After hearing the request, he stared at the other for a moment before saying "It shall be done."

"Takk…3" Logi whispered again, before managing to shift his broken body and catching the younger's attention. He nodded his head to the door of the ship and then to the side of the cave where many rocks sat, as if to say 'check these locations out.' He smiled again as his vision began to fade. He found peace, knowing he was in good hands.

Galleth watched silently as the honorable Viking passed on. He eyes heated up and he felt that he was about to cry. He blinked them back. No. This warrior did not deserve tears. Only stoic remembrance and his last wish granted.

It was dusk by the time the locations were checked and the ship steered into the sea again. Logi and his men were placed orderly on the ship's deck, with white cloths over each body in solemn respect. As the ship started floating away, Sly changed into his archer outfit that he had kept from when he was in Sir Galleth's time and notched an arrow. Rioichi preceded then the wrap a cloth covered in oil around the tip and upper shaft of the arrow and Tennessee took his lighter and set it aflame. Taking careful aim, Sly let the fire arrow fly. The sky turned orange-red as the flames licked the boat. Everyone stood silent as they watched the scene.

Inside the cabin, they had found a desk of sorts with papers. A small bunch looked particularly out of place. Bentley had recognized it as a journal. Unfortunately it was written in Nordic, which Bentley didn't know how to read. But he guessed that they belonged in the Thievius Raccoonus. By the rocks they had found a secret opening, which led to a large chamber filled with gold and other stolen and pillaged treasures, including a perfect set of Roman armor. Knowing there was no way to take an of it with them, Bentley managed to set up a small security thing to protect the chamber and marked it on the map, so that it could be found in any time period.

Once the boat had effectively burned and the fire dying out leaving only floating ashes and some of the boat's framework to sink, the others began a silent trek back to van. When they were finally up the cliff they noticed the world starting to fade and spin. All eyes widening, they made a mad dash toward the van and piling in just as the time machine activated again, sending the group to wherever it desired.

And there we have it! Chapter 2! I hoped you all liked it! Anyway here is what was being said:

1 "Who are you?"

2 "My honor... set my ship out to sea and burn it with my men and I aboard."

3 "Thank you."

All is in Norwegian (hopefully I have all of that correct). Anyway, here is the profile I promised at the beginning.

Name: Logi "Loki" Cooper

Gender: Male

Cane: Ax

Description: Red fur with black rings and green eyes. Wears the traditional Viking clothes and armor.

Extra: He is nicknamed "Loki" after the God of Mischief for his general attitude. Eventually it just sort of became his second name. His biggest raid was that of a Roman vessel ship, where he pillaged it single-handedly. He is particularly good at combining stealth with brute force. He is also a Berserker.

Logi "Loki" Cooper is DarkinUnderground's character. I was just given permission to use him.


	3. Rewind Knight

Yo, PickleToast here! Guess what? I'M ALIVE! I want to apologize to all the people who have read and reviewed any of my stories since the beginning of the year. I was finishing up college, only to follow it with a friend's wedding and then a summer class. Needless to say, I've been busy. However, due to some people requesting updates, here I am again!

This chapter is dedicated to the following reviewers, who have inspired me to continue this particular story: shinxshinx1595; Dream Bound Nightmare; DiamondthePirate; and to one anonymous, who I hope will come back and read this.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper, I only own the story line and some of the OC characters within this story. Some of the said OCs belong to my good friend DarkinUnderground.**

**Warning: **This chapter may include some Out of Character moments, please bear with it and if you have any comments about how to make it better, please state it nicely in the comment section below. Also please note that this is my headcannon story and it may conflict with other people's ideas. I only ask that those who dislike my ideas to be nice about it and keep an open mind. Thank you and enjoy the story!

-012012012012-

Chapter 3: Rewind Knight

Time traveling had never really been a smooth ride by any means, but Sly swore that this current ride through time was the bumpiest. Bentley had already mentioned something about turbulence so many times that Sly lost count. He briefly looked in the back at his ancestors. All of them looked a little car sick. Well, almost all of them. Tennessee looked bored, mumbling something about how this was smoother than a rodeo.

Turning back around Sly stared off into space, thinking about what had just happened. Logi, as Galleth had told them, had died practically right in front of them. Sly was saddened by it, but more sad for Logi. He was his ancestor, an ancestor that, if not for them, would not have had a proper burial, whose accomplishments would have never been noted, and whose entry never would have made it into the Theivius Raccoonus. With his head bowed slightly, Sly wondered what Logi's life had been like. He would've liked to have actually spoken with him. He also felt ashamed about freezing up like he had. He was a Cooper darn it! He shouldn't, couldn't freeze up like that no matter what. Any moment of hesitation could lead to capture, or worse, death.

Despite that, he was incredibly glad Salim was there. He had really underestimated his Arabic ancestor, and felt guilty for everything bad he had said or thought about him. Sly closed his eyes and sighed, making a mental promise to personally apologize to Salim, and possibly ask him about his magic. He also made a mental note to place a hammock in the back for him to nap in. While Sly didn't know how long this 'mission' would take, he had a feeling it would be a while. Sly was pulled from his thoughts as the van suddenly jerked, sending those not strapped down flying forwards. There was more jerking, followed by a brief stillness before they were suddenly free falling.

"Hang on everybody! It's gunna get bumpy!" Murray said as he did his best to control the van. He managed to deploy a glider and got the van safely to the ground, much like an airplane landing. After a minute or so trying to calm his heartbeat, Sly turned around.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. Just a little shaken up." Bentley replied while the others groaned.

Relieved, Sly unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the van. The others soon followed. They were in an open green field. Looking to their left they saw that they were also fairly close to a town. The architecture of the buildings looked old, but Sly couldn't quite place the time period that they were in. However, he thought that they looked similar to the houses he saw in Galleth's time.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"I don't know, cuz." Tennessee replied, scratching his head. "But I do believe that there is a flag. Anyone knows what it is?" They looked over to the tower he had pointed to. Flying proudly in the sky was indeed a flag. It was white with two black stripes and a what appeared to be a black eagle. Bentley immediately knew where they were.

"I recognize that flag. We must be in Prussia." Before anyone could respond, they heard the sound of horses. They decided to follow the sound. Getting closer to the town, they hid behind some rocks on the upper part of the field and looked down a hill. At the bottom on a dirt road was a large chart wagon with two horses that were being looked over by who they could only think was the driver. But that wasn't what got their attention. It was the person at the end of the wagon, looking out toward the town.

It was a young lady raccoon. She was rather petite, with her long, wavy brown hair pinned up in a lazy bun. She had light tan fur with gray rings. Her brown eyes looked worried and sad. Her pale orange dress fluttered lightly in the wind. In her arms she held a blue bundle. They couldn't quite tell what she was actually holding.

"Whoo wee! She's a looker ain't she?" Tennessee asked. Rioichi looked slightly disgusted with his descendant's way of speaking.

"That is no way to talk about a lady, young one." He chided. Tennessee didn't seem to really care.

"I don't here ya disagreeing." He said with a grin. He turned to the others. "What about y'all? Don't ya think she's….um…Galleth? Are ya okay there mate?"

Galleth was standing there, wide eyed as he stared at the lady. He was pale, as if he had seen a ghost. His fingers felt cold, his heart sped up and his breath hitched. He could barely here his relatives and friends talking to him. All he could do was stare. He was in utter disbelief, there was no way he could be seeing who he was seeing. He opened his mouth and muttered a single word. "M-mother?"

The others heard what he said and were shocked. "Wait, what? That's your mom?" Sly asked, whipping his head back to the lady and back to Galleth. The knight swallowed.

"A-aye. She is. I would recognize her anywhere." He replied, still wide-eyed.

"So, we're in the past, right before Galleth's time?" Salim asked, for once wide awake. "But…why are we here?" He didn't want to say anything out loud, but he was worried. From their last experience, the one they had met had died. Now they were here, seeing Galleth's mother. Was she to die too?

"I…I don't rightly know." Galleth responded, slowly calming down from his shock. "But mother looks so young. I also do not understand why she is here in Prussia. She was a full English lady, and I clearly remember growing up in England in our little cottage."

Bentley was thinking hard. "Perhaps…" he started, but Murray interrupted.

"Guys, look! The bundle!" They all looked back to see her wiggling her fingers close to the bundle. Suddenly a tiny tan colored hand reached up and grabbed a hold of one of her fingers. The group stared in awe.

"Holy crap." Sly started. "Galleth? Is that….you?"

"I…believe so." He responded. Tennesse couldn't help but snigger lightly.

"Aww. Baby Galleth~" He got a glare in return. Before he could retort, Rioichi and Salim reached up and covered their mouths. They suddenly pointed back down to the road. After getting released, the two looked back. There was a person walking toward baby Galleth and his mother. To the group's surprise, it was another raccoon.

He was dressed in all white with some black and silver. He had a hood, but it was currently down, showing off his brilliant what fur. He had dark brown rings around his tail and around his blue eyes. He also had the beginnings of a mustache on his muzzle. What got the group most, wasn't the sword he had at his side with the tale-tell Cooper cane on it, but the fact he looked like Galleth. Or, as would be more appropriate given the time line, Galleth looked almost exactly like the other.

"Hey, Galleth? I think that's your dad." Sly said, voicing his opinion. No one made a comment, too stunned. Galleth especially, as his mouth hung open. That was his father? He had never met his father, his mother telling him sadly that he had passed away shortly after he was born. His heart sped up, in both anticipation, happiness, and dread. His father. He would finally get to see his father. But…being that he never met him, and given what had happened with Logi, that meant that his father was going to die, and possibly very soon. As his father approached his mother, the group quieted down and strained their ears to listen.

"Magdalene." He started, his voice deep and full of concern. She looked up from their child and smiled.

"Gilbert." She said taking a step closer before giving her husband a hug, being careful not to squish her son. "Do you have to stay? Why can't you come with us back to England?" She asked sadly. Her husband, Gilbert, sighed.

"I want to so much, my love. Believe me." He started. "But I can't. Not until this last mission is complete."

"Then why can't we stay until you are done?"

"I have a bad feeling, love. I would rather you two start on ahead. I will follow you as soon as I can, if I can." Gilbert said. He moved a lock of Magalene's hair out of her face. "Please Mag. Do this for me? I would feel so much more comfortable knowing that the two of you are safely on your way." Magdalene looked unhappy about it, but she sighed and nodded. Baby Galleth decided to give his opinion on the matter and started to whine. Gilbert smiled sadly, moving to gently stroke his young son's cheek, calming him down. "Don't give your mother too much trouble, alright son?"

Gilbert stood up straight again, before handing his wife something. It was thick and wrapped in a course cream cloth. With a gasp, the group realized it was the Theivius Raccoonus. "Please give this to Galleth when he is old enough." Magdalene looked apprehensive, but she took the package anyway.

"Why not give it to him yourself?" She asked, starting to worry. It would seem she too had realized that this might be the last time she would ever see her husband.

"Just in case." Was all Gilbert replied. He looked up briefly. "Your ride is ready my love." He gave her and their son one last hug and a kiss, before he helped them up onto the wagon and watched as the wagon started off down the road. He stayed until the wagon was gone from his sight. Sighing, he turned and walked back to town.

"Well, I think I know why none of us have ever heard about your father." Sly said, looking at Galleth.

"We should follow him." Bentley started. "I don't know about any of you, but I'm getting a bad feeling about this." With a unanimous decision, they sent Sly in his archer outfit into town, keeping communication lines with the others open. Galleth had wanted to go as well, but Rioichi had pointed out that it would not be a good idea, as it was always possible for him to be spotted by Gilbert or be recognized by someone else. It was safer to have Sly go, as everyone else would just stick out far too much. Sly was used to acting, used to blending in. That didn't stop Galleth from being the closest to the communication device.

Salim sat in the back, looking at Galleth with some pity. He knew what his descendant was thinking. When they had met Logi, it had already been too late. But Gilbert was still alive and well. They had figured out from his conversation with Magdalene that this last mission of his would also be his end. But since Gilbert hadn't left for it yet, there was still a chance, a hope, that he could be saved. Be spared from his fate. Galleth wanted to know his father, he wanted him to live, and they had a chance to. But Salim wasn't sure if they could. As sad and as terrible as it was, Gilbert had died here originally. Who was to say that saving him would not cause a paradox? Salim really didn't want Gilbert to die either, but he still worried. He kept his thoughts to himself, however. He didn't want to upset Galleth. He looked at Rioichi and noticed he was having similar thoughts that he was.

The static from the communication device snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hey guys, I followed Gilbert to what appears to be a friend's house. I can't hear what they are saying, but I can enter the house through the back window. What do you think?"

"I am curious about this mission of his. Go in, and please don't let them hear you, especially Gilbert." Bentley said. Back in town, Sly huffed. Did Bentley really not have faith in him? Then again, he would be sneaking around another Cooper. Sly just smirked. He liked a challenge. It was harder to get in through the window than he had thought. Unlike what he had expected the house to be like, it was a very opened floor plan. He managed to sneak a peak at who Gilbert was talking to in hushed whispers. It was a fairly young tabby cat with glasses. Sly finally got his chance to slip in when the two walked down into the basement. He stood behind the wall to the stairs and listened in, leaving communications opened so the others could hear as well.

"I still don't understand why you sent the missus and kid ahead of you." The cat said. A sigh was heard.

"I already told you, friend. I will not repeat myself for the fifth time." Gilbert sounded exasperated. His cat friend just laughed.

"By the by, Gilbert. Aren't you supposed to be heading out soon for that last mission?"

"Yes, that's why I stopped by here first. There is something I would like you to do for me." His friend looked confused.

"What could I possible do for you?"

"This." Gilbert said, before taking off a necklace that they had previously missed. It was silver, with a Holy Cross on it. It was the size of Sly's hand, and Sly swore that it was glowing slightly. The cat looked taken aback.

"What? Your cross?!"

"Yes." Gilbert said, placing it in a box and locking it before handing it over to the cat. "In the chance that I do not make it back from this mission, I want you to send this to my wife and son. It is rightly his. Wait a month before you do so."

"B-but Gilbert! I-I can't do that!" Fear was evident in his voice as he stumbled. "If you have a feeling that your life is in danger, shouldn't you keep this?! I know it was your cross that has saved you multiple times before! And-!" Gilbert raised his hand, shushing him.

"It doesn't matter right now, friend. If it is to be my time to go, then it will be. It is as God would have it. If not, then God will have me live. Now, just promise me that you will do me this last favor. Please, my friend. It is all I ask." He said, with a stern look in his eyes. The tone of his voice left no room for argument. The cat swallowed thickly and hung his head sadly.

"I-alright." He relented.

"Thank you." Gilbert smiled. He gave his friend a brief hug, before stepping back. "I must be going now. Thank you for everything, my friend."

Sly quickly made his way out of the house before Gilbert could even start up the stairs. The others in the van were quiet as well. Galleth looked confused. "I never received a cross like that." He said.

"Never?" Tennessee asked.

"Nay. Never."

"I wonder what happened to it then." Rioichi pondered. He had an idea, but didn't like it. The only thing he could think of was that the cat didn't honor his friend's last request and never sent it. But he didn't want to worry Galleth, so he swallowed the thought and said instead, "Perhaps it got lost on the way to you in England?"

"Maybe." Bentley responded. "Hey Sly. I don't think I need to say it, but follow Gilbert to the mission."

"You got it!" Sly said, before tailing after the older raccoon. He had a couple of times that he had to quickly hide, as Gilbert would suddenly without warning whip around and scan the area. Sly silently cursed. Gilbert was very, very aware of his surroundings, and had seemed to have figured out that he was being followed. But not being able to see anyone, Gilbert would just hesitantly turn back and continue walking.

Eventually, Sly managed to follow Gilbert to the opposite side of the town. There were more people standing there in the same white outfit Gilbert wore. All of them had a black cross on the back of the coat. He hadn't seen it before on Gilbert's as the hood covered it up. He heard a gasp from Bentley. "Holy Knights!" He said. "I never would have taken him for a religious man, considering his family name." Sly found it ironic as well.

"I can't hear much, but from what I can get out of their discussion, they are heading to a cave southwest from here. I'll meet you guys back at the van." Several minutes later, he was back with the others, and they were driving off southwest of the town. After getting lost quite a few times, they finally managed to come across a very large cave. The best part was that they had also managed to find the correct cave, as they noticed all of the Holy Knights standing in front, discussing something before the starting inside the cave, drawing their weapons and keeping them at the ready.

Knowing that there was no way that any of them could follow the knights into the cave, they had to sit outside, watching the cave entrance. It was quiet and tense. Tennessee was fidgeting. Rioichi was trying to meditate, but his form was far more tense than calm. Salim was tossing and turning around as he tried to take a nap. Bentley was tapping on his laptop. Murray was shoveling food nervously. Galleth was taking the waiting the worst. He was pacing around, playing with the straps of his own armor.

Hours later, the Theivius Raccoonus began to glow erratically. They all gathered around. "What is happening? Is the book trying to tell us something?" Murray asked.

"I don't know." Sly said. He was about to continue when the ground shook. They whipped their heads around toward the cave. They could see a good ways down the tunnel from the viewpoint they had, and were relieved to see the knights starting to run towards the exit, Gilbert up front. However, their relief was short lived. The ground rumbled again and the rocks began to fall. The cave was collapsing.

It was then that they all figured it all out. This was why Gilbert never made it back to his wife and to his son, Galleth. He had died in the cave collapse, the large boulders his grave. The book flashed brighter, more erratic, almost frantic and angry. No one knew what to do. Sly looked back, eyes wide as a large boulder fell, just barely missing Gilbert.

With a quick intake of breath, Sly suddenly went forward. He had an idea. An almost preposterous idea. But if he was right in what he thought the book was trying to tell him, then he severely hoped it would work. He changed into the thief outfit he had received from Salim in record time, including the staff. Without giving an explanation he raised the staff, activating it.

'Please, please, to anyone up there who's listening! Please, let this work!' he prayed, closing his eyes. The sound of large balloon bursting rang throughout the area before all sound vanished. After a moment, Sly hesitantly opened his eyes before letting his jaw drop. Time had actually stopped. Not slowed down like normal, but stopped. He looked back at the others, their eyes also wide.

-012012012-

Gilbert ran as fast as he could, his comrades following. His legs hurt, his breathing fast and frantic, and his heart was pounding out of his chest. They had successfully completed their mission, but they had not expected the entire cave to start collapsing. He internally sighed. He just knew that this would happen.

'I'm sorry Maggie. I'm sorry Galleth. It doesn't look like I'll be able to follow you.' He thought, narrowly dodging a boulder. 'Please, God, my Lord. Look after them.' He closed his eyes, waiting for the ceiling to fall on top of him. He waited for his end.

It never came.

Stopping, Gilbert opened his eyes and froze. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He wasn't. He starred, wide eyed, as he looked around the cave. There was a violet hue, and the boulders that were falling down? They were floating. In midair. Curiously, Gilbert poked one of them, amazed as it was pushed back slightly. He looked back, jaw slack, about to ask his companions if they, too, were seeing what he was seeing. However, that was not possible. They were just as frozen in their spots as the boulders were. Not one to leave a person behind, Gilbert tried to move them. He could not.

Not having anything else to do, he made his way out of the cave, hoping to find something he could use to move his comrades. But as soon as he walked out, the violet hue vanished, and the ground shook again. Gilbert fell to his knees, taken aback by the suddenness. A loud sound came from behind him, followed by screams. Alarmed, Gilbert turned, only to find that the cave had fully collapsed. A minute later and the trembles came to a stop, and the last pebble fell from the cave ceiling, making its stop on the ground.

Gilbert sat there stunned for the longest time. He couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. He looked up to the sky. With a shaky breath, his smiled lightly, tears beginning to make their way into his eyes. "My Lord, my God, my Savior. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you…" he started. He slowly made his way to his feet before walking to the closed up entrance. Laying his left hand on one of the boulders, he placed his right hand above his heart, and bowed his head. He prayed the God would welcome his brave comrades with open arms into his domain and to forgive them of their sins.

He stepped back and with one last moment of silence, he turned and walked back to town. Despite his still pounding heart and sour body, he smiled. "Hey, Magdalene? I'm on my way." He said, wondering how long it would take for him to catch up with the wagon. But first, he had to pay a visit to his friend again. It looked like he wouldn't need to have him mail it out. He could give it to his son himself.

-012012012-

After Gilbert vanished from sight, everyone sighed in relief. Sly then started to laugh. It worked. It worked! Gilbert was alive! The Theivius Raccoonus had taken them back in time to save his ancestors from unnecessary fates. Slowly everyone started to laugh as well. Everyone was happy, and still on an adrenalin high from that suspenseful event.

Galleth then froze, eyes going wide and blank. With a gasp, he fell down, Tennessee catching him. His original memories were suddenly filled with a father he had previously never known. He remembered his father teaching him how to use a sword. He remembered his father giving him the Theivius Raccoonus. He remembered his mother with a smile almost permanently on her face, eyes happy and full of love. He remembered…

Snapping out of his trance, he frantically started unhooking his armour, ignoring the voices of everyone else. He searched under his shirt, his hand hitting an object. A weight that he was certain was never there prior. He took it out, and his eyes landed on the same cross his father had given to his friend. For the second time, Galleth's eyes welled up and he began to cry. No one said a thing. Rioichi placed a comforting hand in his shoulder.

The book flashed brightly one more time, flying open on its own, revealing a couple of new pages that weren't there before. Sly looked at them and noticed that they were Gilbert's pages. He smiled brightly. Unfortunately, they were not given a lot of time to decompress from the event, as the time machine started to activate again. They all piled in, wondering where they were going to be taken next, and who else needed their help.

-012012012-

And there it is! The long awaited chapter 3! I hoped you all liked it!

Anyway, here is Gilbert's profile:

Name: Gilbert Cooper

Gender: Male

Cane: Holy Sword

Description: White fur with brown rings. He has blue eyes and wears mostly white as well.

Extra: He is a religious man, but he doesn't push his faith on anyone. In his perspective, religion should be like honor. If someone does not believe in his religion or follow it, then that is okay. He will respect their religion, just as long as they respect his.


	4. Rewind Gunslinger

Hey, it's PickleToast here! Gosh, I can't believe how long it's been! But I have some great news! I'll be going to Optometry School starting this summer and I got an apartment! Woooo!

Anyway, now that I have time to decompress, here is the much anticipated fourth chapter. As always, **I DO NOT own Sly Copper**. I only own the storyline and some of the original characters, some of which belong to my good friend DarkinUnderground.

**Warning: **This chapter may include some Out of Character moments, please bear with it and if you have any comments about how to make it better, please state it nicely in the comment section below. Also please note that this is my headcannon story and it may conflict with other people's ideas. I only ask that those who dislike my ideas to be nice about it and keep an open mind. Thank you and enjoy the story!

-012301230123-

This trip was just as bad as the previous, jerking everyone left and right every few seconds without fail. However, Sly was willing to bet that this current trip was just a bit worse in comparison. Galleth was still in a dazed head rush from newly gained memories, which combined with the turbulence of the van caused his face to turn green and his stomach to rebel against him. Rioichi was rubbing circles on Galleth's temples to help calm his descendant's massive headache while Tennessee was helping to keep Galleth sort of stable and not falling over.

Sly looked across from him at Salim, who was eyeing the Thievius Raccoonus. Sly decided to start up a conversation, if he could that is. This IS Salim he was trying to talk to. "Hey, um…Salim? I never really got a chance to really say this, but um…thanks. For what you did back there with Logi." He gave an uncharacteristic shy smile. Salim looked up and returned a small smile.

"You are welcome. While odd that you as a Cooper would freeze up so suddenly like that, I think I understand. You're used to seeing what's going on, as well as hearing it at the same time. Not just hearing it."

"Yeah." Sly awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "My imagination acted up." He felt embarrassed and a little ashamed. Just as Salim said, he was a Cooper! A Cooper doesn't just freeze up in the middle of a mission!

"Do not fret too much." Salim started, looking back at the book. "You are still young yet. You've many years to practice and overcome it."

"Thank you." Sly copied Salim and starred at the book. He knew that the Thievius Raccoonus was intimately intertwined with his family and history, but he was shocked that it would go through such lengths as this just to save some of those who held it once before. Whether the book was acting on impulse and with good intentions, just wanting those destined to die live again, or on selfish desires to have more of its own pages filled out, Sly didn't know. Up until now he had never even considered the possibility that the book would have a will of its own.

But now, the more Sly thought about it, the more sense it made. The book was started with Slytunkhamen, in an age where magic and unresting souls practically ran rampant. It wouldn't be a surprise if something happened to allow the book a will of its own. Either way, Sly was still glad it did. He was getting another chance to see and bond with his ancestors, and a chance to help better the past, present, and future of his family and clan. He was thankful.

Sly looked up to say as such to Salim, but frowned. Salim looked worried, annoyed, and even a little angry as he practically starred a hole through the Thievius Raccoonus. 'I wonder what's got him so worked up?' Sly thought. "Salim? Why are yo-"

Sly was interrupted by a harsh jerk forward as if the van had collided with something, before feeling the free fall they had back in Prussia. Murray's knuckles were white as he desperately tried to control the van. The glider that had helped last time wasn't doing the trick now, and Murray had to also deploy the parachutes.

The van landed hard and began skidding. Some terrifying seconds later, the van finally came to a halt. Silence filled the area as everyone took deep breaths to calm their hearts. "Is everyone okay?" Bentley asked, receiving nods and groans in return.

"Well we are, but I don't think my van is." Murray said, sadly. He grabbed a large tool kit that was next to his seat and exited the van. The others followed out. The van was indeed in bad shape. The crash had caused a lot of scrapes, the bumper was dented, two of the tires had burst, and the front axle was dislodged. At least there was no smoke and no one could see any oil leakage. "MY POOR VAN!" Murray cried, hugging the front. "Shh, it's okay. The Murray will fix you up in no time!"

"Let's give him some room." Bentley suggested, getting everyone to move back.

"So…where are we now?" Sly asked. All he could see was green, grassy hills and the ocean off to one side.

"I don't know, Sly. I guess we'll need to do some reconnaissance. "

After deciding the have Galleth stay behind to recover and making sure Murray was doing okay, Sly grabbed the Thievius Raccoonus and ran to catch up with the others. Figuring that where there was water, a town or something would be nearby, the group walked together toward the ocean. They stopped when they came across a port town. A very large port town.

The streets and plazas were crowded as people hustled and bustled this way and that. Buildings made of stone and wood, and even some steel stood proud amongst the people. Sly made a quick stop and managed to steal some clothes for everyone to wear. He put back on his archer outfit himself, as it seemed to blend in here as well.

No one looked their way as they headed closer to the port, where a large boat seemed to be parked and taking passengers. They stopped when they finally made their way to the front of the boat and began looking around for clues as to where, and when, they were. It wasn't so much of the physical characteristics of the town that gave away where they were, rather, the people did. They all spoke with an unmistakable accent. They were in Ireland.

"Wow. Well, I guess it's a good thing Galleth isn't here." Sly said, trying to make a joke. At least Bentley and Tennessee laughed. They continued looking around, until Sly felt the Thievius Raccoonus vibrating lightly in his pack, the placed his hand on it and slowly turned around until the book gave a shudder. Focusing his eyes on the crowd in front of where he was now facing, Sly tried to find a raccoon. It wasn't long before his effort was paid off.

Not too far away stood two raccoons. Female from the looks of it. One of them was much younger than the other, with light brown hair that was over her shoulder in a braid. Her bright green eyes were sad as she clutched a large bag close to her. Her fur looked to be the same color that Tennessee's was, but not the same texture. The older raccoon, possibly the other's mother, looked quite different. She had loud, curly red hair and sharp brown eyes. Her fur was tanned and she sported orange rings. The two seemed to be arguing.

Sly got the others' attention and they made their way forward slightly to hear what they were saying.

"Are you certain, mother?" the younger asked.

"Yes, my dear. I am very certain."

"But mother! Why won't you just come with me?"

"I already told you, sweetie. I have something I need to do first, but I can't do it until the right time comes. By then this boat here will have already set sail." The younger started to cry. "Don't cry now, sweetie!" the mother said, hugging her daughter close and wiping away the tears. "There are always more boats. I promise you that I will take the next boat to America. You can wait for me there, can't you?"

"I-I suppose I can." She sniffled. "But please do come soon. We have just lost father not that long ago. I do not want to lose you as well, especially if I am to be moving so very far away."

The ground couldn't hear the rest and the boat horn blew, signaling for all remaining passengers to board. By the time the crowd cleared a bit, they could only see the mother, waving at the boat. An hour later and the boat had begun leaving port. The red haired raccoon stayed a while, before taking a deep breath and leaving, heading toward the center of town.

The group tried to follow, but lost her in the crowd and town. So they made their way out and back toward the van. As they walked, Sly immediately noticed that Tennessee was quiet. Worryingly quiet. He was looking toward the ground too. Sly slowed his pace to match his.

"Hey."

"…Hey."

"What's the matter? You're all quiet. Do you feel okay?"

"I'm fine… Don't worry about it."

"Ten. You're quiet. You're never quiet. Don't forget that us Coopers are just as good at identifying lies as we are telling them. Now what's wrong?"

"…Sorry, cuz. I didn't want to worry ya."

"That's okay. But I still want to know." The other three, while still walking ahead, had their attention toward the conversation.

"It's just… you remember back in Prussia, when Galleth recognized his ma?"

"Mmhm. What about it?"

"Well…I think I recognized one of those two from earlier. The one that went on the boat."

"What? Really?" Sly was shocked. Why hadn't Tennessee mentioned this sooner?

"Yeah. That was Clair Cooper….my own ma."

"WHAT?!" Sly almost fell over. "That was YOUR mother back there?" Tennessee only nodded.

"I…don't remember my ma all that much. Died of poisoning when I was little. But I remember her always taking me to the port, gazing out at the sea as if waiting for someone. I never did figure out why. Well…at least until now."

"She was waiting for her mother, your grandmother." Sly finished. So, that was what the Thievius Raccoonus was hinting at. Tennessee's grandmother was going to die here soon, and thus never make it to America. But now the book wants to fix that. It was silent going back to the van, no one knowing what to say and Tennessee seemed to be deep in thought.

Back at the van, Galleth had moved into the back and was sleeping off the last of his headache while Murray was fixing up the bumper. The tires were replaced and from what they could tell, the axle was fixed too.

"Oh, hey guys! Welcome back!" Murray said, straightening up and stretching. "How'd it go?" Murray stayed silent as Bentley and Sly retold the story. "Wow! I didn't know you were Irish, Tennessee!"

"Meh, I didn't know much about that myself, to be honest." He replied, still a bit out of sorts with thoughts running rampant through his head. Not too long after, Galleth woke and had the story told to him too.

"I see. Then there seems to be a pattern coming across, doesn't there?" he asked.

"In what way? The relations or the…death part?" Murray asked back.

"Probably the death part." Sly replied, taking the Thievius Raccoonus out and sitting it on his lap. "So far, the book has taken us to two places where an ancestor was to die, but due to the book bringing us there, one was saved and the other was given a proper funeral. Also, their pages showed up in the Thievius Raccoonus. If we are here, and from what Tennessee said, then we can safely say that his grandmother died and never made it back to Clair." 'When she was supposed to.' He silently thought. He stared at the thick, ancient book, wheels turning in his head.

"It's getting to be dark. We should go find her and follow -"

"No." Salim interrupted, sternly. Everyone, except Rioichi, looked at him in shock.

"Um, what?" Sly started.

"We are not going after her. Whatever thoughts you have in your head about going after her and preventing her death, get rid of them."

"Wh-? B-but why?! The Thievius Raccoonus clearly wants us to-"

"No. There is no way a book can want anything, Sly."

"But, we saved Gilbert, didn't we? Why can't we save my granny too?" Tennessee asked quickly, and higher pitched.

"I'm sorry, young one. But remember what happened when we did save Gilbert? A paradox occurred, leaving Galleth incapacitated for hours, and even now the effects of the change have yet to fully pass. If we do save her, then there is no doubt you would have the same issue." Salim said. "No. It is best if we just stay here and find a way back to our own times and leave history as it is."

Tennessee was ready to retort, but was stopped by Rioichi. "As hard, mean, and as sad as it sounds, I have to agree with Salim." He said. "The risk of the aftereffects is far too great to resist." Rioichi left it at that in a voice that left no room for arguing. Tennessee was still very young. If this business left Galleth, a full growth Cooper in such a state, Rioichi was very worried as to what state it would leave their youngest. It didn't help that Tennessee often acted on his emotions, being as young as he was with not that much experience. Sly was not that much better. It was up to him and Salim to look out for them. Even if it meant hurting them like this.

Tennessee gawked at the two of them, while Sly starred at them in shock. He looked over at Tennessee worriedly.

-012301230123-

Tennessee didn't know what to say. He felt overly warm. His breaths were coming out in short puffs and he couldn't seem to get any more air in. his throat ached and his eyes began to burn as his vision began to blur. His heart dropped. He said nothing as he stood and took off in some direction. If anyone had said anything, he didn't hear him.

-012301230123-

Sly called out to Tennessee as he watched to other hurry away. Concerned, he stood, intending to follow. "Don't worry. He'll be back, once he has had time to decompress." Rioichi said, standing. "Now, let's get a camp set up. Night is soon upon us." Sly bit his lip, but slowly followed, helping build a campfire. He made up his mind to go find Tennessee later.

The rest of the evening was quiet, and eventually they fell asleep, except Sly. He couldn't even if he tried. He went and sat on a nearby rock, looking at the Thievius Raccoonus.

'There is no way a book can want anything.'

What Salim said replayed itself over, and over again in Sly's mind. With a deep breath, he shook his head. "No, you're wrong. The book IS alive. It DOES have a will. It wants us to do something." He thought for a moment, before steeling his eyes in resolve. "And as its current keeper, I am going to do it. Whether or not you agree with me, old man." Sly stood and began walking back toward town before a voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Sly looked back and saw Tennessee coming toward him. "Are you going?"

"I am."

"Then I'm coming to!" Tennessee looked angry now. "I don't care what Salim or Rioichi say. That is my granny, and I am going to help her, consequences be damned!" He said. "Besides, I may not remember much…but the look on ma's face as she looked out at the sea…I don't want to see that anymore."

"Then I guess we are doing this one solo. Ready, partner?"

"You darn tootin' I'm ready! Let's go cuz!" And with that the two were off, making it to the darkened streets of the town in record time.

"How are we supposed to find granny?" Tennessee whispered as they made their way to the town center where a huge statue stood. Sly responded by holding up the Thievius Raccoonus.

"Earlier, it was vibrating until I saw your grandmother." He replied. "I think we can use it to find her again." Tennessee was silent for a moment, before he looked at Sly, almost pleadingly.

"May I please be the one to hold it?" Sly did not protest. As soon as Tennessee had the Thievius Raccoonus, he held it to his chest. He wasn't sure how this would work, but he prayed to the ancient book itself. 'Please, please. Show me the way to her.'

The Thievius Raccoonus glowed lightly, responding almost immediately to its once owner happily. It vibrated in Tennessee's hand, pointing him, and by extension Sly, in the right direction. Roughly an hour and a half went by before the two found themselves at another port. But this one seemed to be hidden rather well. The book had stopped vibrating, so they knew that they were in the right place.

"What is that?" Tennessee asked.

"I don't know. Let's get a closer look." Sly responded. The two snuck closer to the ship, matching each other's skill like twins. The peaked around the boulder they were using for cover. The ship that was there wasn't very big, but it wasn't small either. The most notable thing about the ship though was the English flag, tied to the highest mast.

"What's an English ship doing in Ireland?" Tennessee asked, clutching the Thievius Raccoonus a little closer to him. Sly's eyes narrowed a bit.

"I'm not sure. But we are going to find out." Some movement caught his eye. "And soon too. Look." Tennessee followed Sly's gaze and saw his grandmother behind one of the crates, out of sight from the crew members. She had on long brown shorts, high boots, a green shirt and a faded orange jacket that looked more like a man's farming shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she sported two homemade, old-fashioned hand guns.

They watched as she studied the crew for a while, before pointing one of her guns toward the ship and firing. The bullet, however, did not hit the ship. Rather, it hit a barrel quite a ways away, at a very different angle than the one she had shot at.

"Holy-! Did she just do a curved shot?" Tennessee asked in awe.

"I think so."

"Wow! I've always wanted to do that but could never pull it off!"

"Well fantasize about it later. We have to hurry and follow her!" Sly said, watching as the woman took advantage of the sudden confusion and slipping into the ship. The two followed her, avoiding the crew and using the same entrance she did. The inside of the ship was musky and claustrophobic.

"We need to be really careful." Sly said.

"I think we should stay together as well." Tennessee added as they made their way slowly up the stairs. Sly couldn't have agreed more. Following the woman raccoon was tedious. Following the woman raccoon and avoiding the other crew members was difficult and tested all of their abilities. Doing so on a ship with very little places to hide and little time to do so along with all the objects just strewn about almost haphazardly? It was nearly impossible.

By the time they had managed to reach the area they last saw her enter, she had already gone through the door. Looking at the door's symbol, the two quickly found that it was the Captain's courters. The hid behind some barrels and waited. Not too long after, the Thievius Raccoonus began to shake violently in Tennessee's grasp.

Looking up and hurriedly surveying the area, Sly noticed a dark figure by the door. He couldn't make out any features, other than that the person was wearing a black cloak and was crouched and pouncing stance. Then, he noticed a glint. The person was holding a dagger. He and Tennessee watched as the person took out a small vial, and poured something onto the blade. Their breaths hitched in perfect sync. Poison.

Without looking at each other, they quickly moved. No words were needed now. They already knew what they needed to do. Before anyone could blink, Sly had knocked the figure unconscious and Tennessee had tossed the poisoned dagger off to the side, near the other side of the boat. Being exposed now, and having completed their mission, the two took off, back toward the exit. Good timing too, because as soon as they had left, the door opened.

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The red hair Cooper hurriedly made her way out of the Captain's room. She had successfully found the plans and tossed the parchments into the fire, destroying them forever. She also snagged some gold and jewels as well. She came out and stopped a moment, her heart jumping to her throat at she noticed a large black shape. She calmed a bit when she saw they were unconscious. Though she found it very weird that they were unconscious at such an odd location, she didn't waste much of her time on it. She needed to get out of here. She promised her daughter to follow her to America, after all. Forgoing to entry path, she simply jumped over the side and swam away, never noticing the poisoned dagger that would have taken her life.

-012301230123-

The sun was just beginning to rise when Sly and Tennessee made it back to camp. They were smiling wide, giddy. They had saved Tennessee's grandmother in one night, and did so all behind Salim and Rioichi's back. Slipping into their makeshift beds quietly, Sly watched happily as the Thievius Raccoonus glowed brilliantly and opened up to him, showing its new pages proudly.

Tennessee felt tears streaming down his face again. But this time, it was in happiness. He fell asleep, his own memories re-writing themselves. Memories of a fun-loving granny teaching him to shoot. Memories of his ma's smiling face and his pa's laughter replaced old memories of a mostly empty house with just him and his pa. His head didn't hurt, but his heart swelled in happiness. Salim and Rioichi were so wrong.

Sly closed the Thievius Raccoonus and drifted off to sleep himself, remembering the name he had just read.

"Priscilla Cooper."

-012301230123-

Chapter 4 done! I hope it was worth waiting for! As for a brief update, there will be two more chapters and a brief epilogue left before this story is completed. Thank you all for hanging on and dealing with my lazy bum for so long, but just a little more!

Priscilla's profile:

Name: Priscilla Cooper

Gender: Female

Cane: Twin pistols

Description: Tan fur with orange rings and brown eyes.

Extra: Priscilla can be quick to anger and is a very independent woman. Her favorite past time is music, song, and dancing. She also enjoys spoiling her family.


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